Social Conservatism vs Libertarian Conservatism: Key Differences Explained
How Social Conservatism and Libertarian Conservatism differ, using sourced definitions and each model’s estimated position on the Atlas’s nine political dimensions.
Definitions
Social Conservatism
Conservatism is a political doctrine that emphasizes the value of traditional institutions and practices. Conservatives favor gradual change under conditions of continuity and stability, and hold that government should serve existing ways of life rather than remake them.
Source: Britannica: Conservatism
Libertarian Conservatism
Conservatism is a political doctrine that emphasizes the value of traditional institutions and practices. Conservatives favor gradual change under conditions of continuity and stability, and hold that government should serve existing ways of life rather than remake them.
Source: Britannica: Conservatism
Side by side on the Atlas maps
| Dimension | Social Conservatism | Libertarian Conservatism | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 66 | 66 | 0 |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 79 | 79 | 0 |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 41 | 41 | 0 |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 77 | 77 | 0 |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 35 | 35 | 0 |
Social Conservatism is shown as the average of the 18 socialist-family ideologies on the Atlas (including communism itself), because the Atlas has no single “socialism” model.
Map scores are estimates on the Atlas’s scale and can be debated. Read the full pages for Social Conservatism and Libertarian Conservatism.